Arsenal: Why Alexis Sanchez Is Doing Things Olivier Giroud Cannot

Arsenal’s chance conversion rate has skyrocketed this season. Much of that can be put down to things that Alexis Sanchez can do that Olivier Giroud cannot.

Arsenal are scoring more goals than they have done in recent years under Arsene Wenger. A team renowned for its free-flowing, attacking football, scoring bucket loads of goals, creating chances and basing its play on pushing forward is better than it has been for many years.

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Well, not quite. While the Gunners are scoring more goals than before, they are doing so in a different manner. Here is what Wenger himself had to say – this was after the 6-0 win over Ludogorets just to provide a little context – about the recent goalscoring form of his side:

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"“The confidence is high, we have a good balance at the moment in the team and maybe it’s because we’ve been making more of our chances. The final ball is better. Is that because our finishing is better? It’s difficult to analyse at the moment, but what is for sure is that we score more goals. We score lots of goals. That’s what our game is about. We have a risky game and therefore it’s important that we take our chances.”"

It is an increased efficiency in front of goal that has made the difference for Arsenal, not the amount of chances they are creating. In fact, they are creating less chances this year than last year. In terms of clear cut chances, the Gunners ranked first among the Premier League last season, scoring 1.71 goals per game at a chance conversion rate of 11.4%.

This season, they rank 6th in the Premier League for the same metric but are scoring a whopping 2.16 goals per game at a very impressive chance conversion rate of 14.1%. That is far improved, or worsened, depending on your perspective. So, what is different between the two seasons?

Well, the biggest change is the style with which Wenger is playing. As he states himself, Arsenal are now pushing higher up the pitch, looking to win the ball back in more advanced areas and suffocate the space with which the opposition can work in. This stems from the decision to employ Alexis Sanchez, and not Olivier Giroud, as the centre-forward. 15.8

The stats bear out the greater finishing that Sanchez has given the whole team also. This season, Sanchez has a chance conversion rate of 18.5%. Last year, Giroud was at 15.8%. That is a decent difference, but where the effects are truly noticed is in the rest of the squad. Mesut Ozil’s chance conversion rate has jumped from 12.7% to 16.7%. Theo Walcott’s has increased from 11.1% to 15.2%.

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That is a formidable increase and is, not wholly, but partially, down to the decision to play Sanchez and not Giroud as the central striker. Arsenal are scoring more goals now than ever and it is down to a new-found ruthlessness that could well fire them to that ever elusive Premier League title.